


you  and  me and

by shadoedseptmbr



Series: Tales from the Shelterverse [16]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Baby, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 02:53:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4288047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadoedseptmbr/pseuds/shadoedseptmbr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a fic  prompt : accidental baby acquisition</p>
            </blockquote>





	you  and  me and

Aeryn stared at the squirming bundle that Fenris was holding out to her in confused shock. Quite calmly, she asked, “Fenris. Why do you have a baby? Why, pray tell, are you standing in my courtyard at this cow-milking hour with a baby?”

“It was in a basket. On my…the doorstep out to the garden.”

“Out of all the doorsteps in Hightown, someone left a baby on YOUR doorstep? Do you perhaps have a friend you forgot to mention?” 

He flushed at her raised eyebrow. “I think perhaps this is why.” He tugged the roughspun blanket from around the sleeping baby’s piquant face and when the infant…about 6 months, maybe? Smallish, though, she thought…turned its head, she saw…oh. A little, definitely pointed, ear. 

“Again…are you sure…?”

“Quite sure.” He answered drily. The child squirmed and then blinked open huge, slightly tilted cloudy grey eyes and blinked sleepily. Just before it opened its pink mouth and squalled. “Venhedis…Hawke, do something!” 

Aeryn took the baby, even as she protested, “Well, what in the world do you want me to do with it?” She set the baby to her shoulder and glanced up at the house. A light had flickered into life in Orana’s room. Patting the child on the back the way she seen her mother do with the twins or the occasional baby of a friend, Aeryn walked back into the house, trying to remember the way Leandra had sort of…bounced…as she carried Bethany or Carver across the floor. So long ago. 

Fenris followed talking over the baby, still squawking. “It has been an hour since I found it. Is it hungry?”

“Like as not. Wet, too, I’d imagine.” 

“Wet? I did not get water…oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” Orana was hovering in the doorway, wide green eyes even wider at the sight of Mistress and Ma… no...Fenris with a baby. “Orana? Do we have any of that flannel left? And a couple of the flour sacks we haven’t used yet?”

“I’ll get them right now!” She turned quickly towards the small linen cupboard they stored such things in and began to rummage through.

Aeryn continued to bounce the baby gently on her shoulder, swaying now as it coughed and continued to fret around the fist stuffed in its mouth. “Fenris…either hold this or go stir up the fire, hmm?” 

Aeryn directed him to put the small copper saucepan hanging next to the fire on the slab of iron that ran in front of the fireplace and then reminded him where the milk was. When it was warm, she sighed and shook her head. “I don’t think…oh…wait, run up to the still room and grab me a couple of the potion bottles. We’ll pour hot water over and then…best send for Anders.”

“Why Anders?” He couldn'the seem to help the sneer in his voice, she thought.

“Need to make sure the baby’s okay. And he’ll know what to feed it…I think there’s a way you need to cut the milk with sugarwater, but I’m not sure.” 

Shyly, Orana offered, “I know, Mistress.”

“Really?” At the elf’s nod, Aeryn waved her hand at the stove. “Have at it then! Fenris, better send Sandal for Anders anyway, Bodahn will write the note for you if you rap on his door and you can get the bottles, too.”

“What is it you will be doing?”

“Attending to our guest’s privy needs, unless you’d like to swap?”

“I will get the bottles.”

Aeryn smirked at Fenris’ disappearing back and set the baby down on the kitchen’s worktable on top of the soft flannel Orana folded and placed for her before she turned her attention to the way the swaddling was tucked tightly. One or two experimental tugs loosened the whole and the baby waved its slender arms and legs gratefully. Too slender, Aeryn thought. But…elves. Maybe they weren’t as sturdy as she remembered Carver and Bethany being, the little fat lumps. There were marks on the translucent skin, but thankfully they wiped off with a bit of water. Time enough for a proper bath after Anders saw to it. The nappy was definitely wet…thankfully not soiled, though and held with a pair of neatly carved wooden pins that Aeryn set aside to reuse. 

“Well, then. Hello little girl…who left you, pretty bitty?” She asked softly as she stroked the damp rag over the baby’s skin. Orana handed her a neatly folded cloth and Aeryn slid it under the baby’s slightly too pink bottom. “Have you any…” Orana deftly produced the little jar of elfroot salve that they kept to hand. “You’re a treasure and a half, you know? When did you learn so much about babies, Orana?”

The elf had gone pink to the tips of her ears at Aeryn’s compliment. “Sometimes I would help the nanny in the children’s quarters.”

“There were a lot of children? Hold still, you.” The baby wriggled and tried to roll away as Aeryn pulled the nappy around the narrow little bottom.

“Oh, yes. Mistress Hadriana liked her slaves to have a certain coloring. She preferred to breed us all herself rather than rely on the slave traders. She sold the extras, of course.”

“I…see.” A few more reasons to hate Hadriana, had Aeryn needed anymore. 

There was a light tread at the door and Aeryn couldn’t resist one more little snark at Fenris’ expense, “Congratulations! It’s a girl!”

The sudden silence drew her eyes up to…oh. “Ah. Hullo, Sebastian.” 

“Aeryn?” His eyes were wide and his mouth was open as if he was trying to speak and hadn’t managed to decide what word to say next.

“It’s not mine.” Well, of course not. Brilliant. 

Sebastian closed his mouth and then smiled just a little as he recovered his equilibrium. “Well, no I would think not. I did see you yesterday and you did not look at all in the family way.”

She gave him a wry smile. “Smart fellow. Fenris found her and for some reason brought her here.”

 

Recalling what time it was, she asked him. “Why are you here, anyway? It’s still dark.”

He came up to watch her try and swaddle the baby back in some semblance of the way it had been wrapped earlier. “I was up for prayers. I…happened to look this way and saw all the light. I was worried that…something had happened.” He looked a little sheepish with his admission and Aeryn nudged his shoulder.

“That was sweet of you, thanks. No… just Fenris and his unexpected guest.” The baby squalled, pitiful and hungry and Aeryn murmured, “Yes, yes. I’m sure he’ll have the bottles…oh there you are!”

Orana took the bottles from Fenris who looked harried. “Your stillroom lacks logic, Hawke.”

“My stillroom is set up for efficiency, Fenris. Now…how do we get the milk from the bottle to the baby?” Aeryn glanced up at Orana, but the elf was more reticent with Sebastian in the room than she had been with only Aeryn and Fenris and she stammered for a moment. 

“Ah, a bit of cloth all twisted up like a candle wick.” When all eyes turned towards him in surprise, Sebastian clarified. “That’s how they do it in the Chantry’s orphanage, at least.” He picked up a smaller scrap of the flannel and twisted it, “Like so.” He stuck his hand out for the bottle of cooling milk and Orana handed it over. Fiddling, he fitted it over the narrow mouth. “Needs a bit of string to wrap it.”

Aeryn startled into action, “Oh, sure. Um, over there.” Sebastian gauged a length of kitchen string and then wrapped the makeshift nipple securely. 

“You have to hold it, just so…otherwise the milk just dumps out.” He tipped the bottle. “Or I’ve also seen them spoonfeed the wee ones, just a dribble of milk. Takes a while, though.” He held the bottle out to Aeryn who had been bouncing the child on her shoulder again while he worked.

“Here goes, then. I guess. Open up, girlie.” Aeryn tipped the bottle the way Sebastian had showed her and…immediately dribbled a trail of sweetened milk down the flannel swaddling and over the baby’s little chin, making the child squirm again and cry. 

“Ah…no…like so.” Sebastian tried to correct Aeryn’s hand.

She glared at him, “Well if you know what to do, you do it!”

Sebastian found himself with an armful of delicate baby and flannel. “Oh my. Alright. Let’s see.”

Orana had slipped up beside them and stroked her finger along the baby’s lip. It opened its mouth and Sebastian had the bit of flannel in the baby’s mouth and after a few whimpers, she began to suckle. “There, then, nothing to it.”

Aeryn sniffed. “So you say. It’s not very fast going, is it?”

“You’d be better off finding a nurse, I think.” Fenris, who had been watching with some fascination, spoke up. 

“Anders might know of someone. Or…oh, better ask Merrill. She’ll know if one of the Alienage mothers has….er…a bit extra.” Aeryn couldn’t help watching Sebastian, swaying a little now. And humming something low and soft. Oh. Well. Look at that. A strange little knot swelled up in her throat and she coughed to clear it.

“There were two nursing mothers in the clan up at Sundermount, last time we were there.” Fenris reminded her and Aeryn nodded.

“That’d be better than the Alienage, definitely. Still, we’d better ask Merrill. I don’t know how the Dalish take to orphans.” 

“She’d just be taken in, as an elf.” Sebastian murmured, trying not to disturb the baby who was starting to look sleepy. “Just another part of the clan. So Merrill said, when I asked her about the care of orphans and widows.”

“We’ll see what Anders says. If she’s up to it, I guess we’d best get her up there today then. Don’t you think, Fenris?”

“Me? What do I have to do with it?”

“Well, it was your doorstep the mother chose.”

He smirked. “I assume it’s because I was the closest elf to her at the moment.” 

“That’s the plan then.” The baby in Sebastian’s arms yawned sleepily, and Orana…and Aeryn herself followed suit. “In the morning. I could use another hour’s sleep, though. Wonder where Anders is?” 

“I will sit with the baby, Mistress.” Orana, stopped in mid-stretch to hold her hands out.

“You’ve got your music lesson at eight, though. You ought to sleep. She can sleep in my room, I guess.” Aeryn looked a little doubtful and Sebastian chuckled as Fenris stepped farther back.

“I’ll stay…if you dinna mind, Aeryn.”

“Oh…but…”

“I can’t go to Sundermount with you…Elthina needs my assistance with the Satinalia preparations. But I can let you get a little sleep before I return to the Chantry.”

“You’ll have to change her nappy, here in a bit.” Aeryn said doubtfully.

“It won’t be the first. The orphanage nursery is chronically shorthanded,” he explained and shifted his stance when the baby cuddled up. Aeryn couldn’t help but notice the wee little hand curling around a soft bit of his leather sleeve. Hmm.

She shook herself. “Well, if you’re offering, I won’t turn it down. Come on, we’ll get you set up in the library. There’s a chest In there with drawers deep enough to make a decent cradle for a little while.”

Fenris took his leave, promising to return in a couple of hours and Orana was chased back to bed, yawning and then Aeryn led the way to the library. “I’ll bring you a pot of tea…feel free to make yourself at home, Sebastian,” she told him as he settled and she drug out the drawer and folded a thick blanket into a nest. 

“I think I know where everything is.” Leaning back on the settee, he settled the baby into the crook of his arm.

She hesitated after stirring up the fire and then curled up in the far corner of the settee, pulling a stray cushion over her bare knees, muffling a yawn. 

“You ought to go to bed, then.” He chided her.

She was watching him with unreadable grey eyes, though. “I appreciate this, you know. I rather thought…you might insist we take her to the orphanage. To the Chantry.”

“Elthina does need my help. I would come anyway, but…I would be remiss in my duties to hand over a child who could be brought under the care of Andrastians. But I think you’re right, she’s better off with the Dalish. She’ll belong. Have a family.” His eyes were on the baby’s face but Aeryn could see the little twist of his mouth that told her he was thinking of his own family. He ran a hand through his hair and back down to rub the back of his neck. 

“There’s that.” The baby snuffled a minute and re-settled, pink mouth in a little ‘o’. “She looks pretty comfortable. But you ought to set her down, lest your arm get tired.”

“In a moment.” They sat a while, the fire crackling in the grate and a sleeping baby between them. Aeryn’s eyes looked tired as she leaned her head against the high wooden back of the settle. “You should go to bed, leannan.” His voice had dropped, soft and warm.

“In a moment.”


End file.
